Yellow-Stem
Yellow-Stem, also called Anadu by the Hanabril, is a variety of grass with a yellow-green stem and darker green leaves. The grass grows to a height of approximately six feet with branches extending from the center about two to three feet. Similar to flax in processing, it is one of the fastest growing plants known and is commonly harvested and spun into fibers to make clothing and the like. Yellow-stem is most closely compared to Hemp Cloth. Yellow-Stem is a common textile used by the Hanabril and by the Humans of the South Marches to produce fine rope and a yellow-tan variety of paper. Habitat Yellow-Stem grows in warmer climates and prefers damp, moist soil. In its natural state it would be most commonly found in thickets around the edges of bogs, marshes and wetlands. The roots don't grow very deep and should they remain in rich, wet soil they will often produce new growth given suffecient time. The weed will grow in poor to good soil and can be harvested up to four times a year. Each stem reaches maturity in approximately three months. Cultivation Yellow-Stem is commonly grown in plantations in the South Marches nearest Kel Essen to be used to create rope for their ship yards. To accomodate a speedy harvest and multiple rotations, those who farm it will plant the seeds along channels cut into the sides of rivers so that more space can be used to grow the crop than just along the edge. Harvesting At the time of harvest, when the stems are nearly six-feet in height, the laborers will paddle up the river and into the channels where they will cut the plant off with a sickle and tie the bunches in large bundles that they store in their canoe until they return to the collection barges elsewhere. Harvesting the weed can be done four times a year, generally, with a 'thin' crop in winter and a larger one in summer. Harvest is a very busy time on the river as canoes are constantly paddeling into and out of the channels to collect the stems and then back to the collector barges that follow on the main river. Uses The Hanabril have been using Yellow-Stem as the main source of their textiles for as long as they can remember. In the South Marches, and especially around the city of Kel Essen, the main reason for the wide-scale cultivation of the plant was for its use as rope for the construction and rigging of sailing vessles. After the worship of Gizad began to spread amongst the human settlements, the need for a cheap, sturdy writing material became quickly evident with the number of people learning to read and write growing almost annually. To solve this problem and create a new stream of wealth for Kel Essen, they investigated a process used by the Elves of Sylvanar to make their infamous paper, Casymar. Eventually, with plenty of trial and error, the tradesmen and alchemists were able to produce a descent quality of paper from the Yellow Stem plant which they called 'Anado from the Halfling word for 'Yellow Seed' (though misprounced)' and the Human Paper Market was born. Category:Flora/Marches Category:Flora/Summer Category:Flora/Grass Category:Flora/Swamp